Information Providing Method and System

1. An information providing system comprising: a reception unit configured to receive first information concerning a use condition of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; a processing unit configured to simulate a process to be performed by the customer's exposure apparatus under the use condition based on the first information and to prepare second information concerning a performance of the customer's apparatus under the use condition based on the simulation; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the second information to the customer's system via a network.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said processing unit is configured to simulate the process based on at least one of design data, manufacturing data, performance measurement data, a set value and an allowable error of the customer's exposure apparatus.

3. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a registration unit configured to register the second information in a database.

4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein said registration unit is configured to register the second information in the database with respect to each customer.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of the substrate, a resist to be coated onto the substrate, a mask for providing the pattern and an illumination condition to be applied to the mask.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the second information includes information concerning at least one of an imaging performance, a resist profile, an alignment accuracy, a throughput, and an overlay accuracy to be obtained by the customer's exposure apparatus.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said transmission unit is configured to transmit the second information to the customer's exposure apparatus.

8. An information providing method, comprising steps of: receiving first information concerning a use condition of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; simulating a process to be performed by the customer's exposure apparatus under the use condition based on the first information; preparing second information concerning a performance of the customer's exposure apparatus under the use condition based on the simulation; and transmitting the second information to the customer's system via a network.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said processing step simulates the process based on at least one of design data, manufacturing data, performance measurement data, a set value and an allowable error of the customer's exposure apparatus.

10. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising a step of registering the second information in a database.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein said registering step registers the second information in the database with respect to each customer.

12. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of the substrate, a resist to be coated onto the substrate, a mask for providing the pattern and an illumination condition to be applied to the mask.

13. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the second information includes information concerning at least one of an imaging performance, a resist profile, an alignment accuracy, a throughput, and an overlay accuracy to be obtained by the customer's exposure apparatus.

14. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said transmission step transmits the second information to the customer's exposure apparatus.

15. A computer-readable storage medium which stores instructions for execution by a computer, which executes an information providing method, said method comprising steps of: receiving first information concerning a use condition of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; simulating a process to be performed by the customer's exposure apparatus under the use condition based on the first information; preparing a second information concerning a performance of the customer's exposure apparatus under the use condition based on the simulation; and transmitting the second information to the customer's system via a network.

16. An information providing system comprising: a reception unit configured to receive first information concerning a target performance of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; a processing unit configured to determine a use condition of the customer's exposure apparatus based on the first information and to prepare second information concerning the determined use condition; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the second information to the customer's system via a network.

17. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the first information includes information concerning a current performance of the customer's exposure apparatus.

18. A system according to claim 17 , wherein the current performance information includes information obtained by an inspection unit which inspects a performance of the customer's exposure apparatus.

19. A system according to claim 17 , wherein the current performance information includes information obtained by a measurement in the customer's exposure apparatus.

20. A system according to claim 16 , wherein said processing unit is configured to simulate a process to be performed by the customer's exposure apparatus, to evaluate the simulation based on the first information, and to determine the use condition based on the evaluation.

21. A system according to claim 16 , further comprising a registration unit configured to register the second information in a database.

22. A system according to claim 21 , wherein said registration unit is configured to register the second information in the database with respect to each customer.

23. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of the substrate, a resist to be coated onto the substrate, a mask for providing the pattern and an illumination condition to be applied to the mask.

24. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of an imaging performance, a resist profile, an alignment accuracy, a throughput, and an overlay accuracy to be obtained by the customer's exposure apparatus.

25. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the second information includes information concerning at least one of a shot layout, an illumination condition to be applied to the mask, a condition with respect to a projection optical system for projecting the pattern onto the substrate and a mask design of a mask for providing the pattern.

26. A system according to claim 16 , further comprising a mask CAD unit configured to obtain information of a design of a mask for providing the pattern as the second information.

27. A system according to claim 16 , wherein said transmission unit is configured to transmit the second information to the customer's exposure apparatus.

28. An information providing method, comprising steps of: receiving first information concerning a target performance of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; determining a use condition of the customer's exposure apparatus based on the first information; preparing second information concerning the determined use condition; and transmitting the second information to the customer's system via a network.

29. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the first information includes information concerning a current performance of the customer's exposure apparatus.

30. A method according to claim 28 , wherein said processing step comprises simulating a process to be performed by the customer's exposure apparatus, evaluating the simulation based on the first information, and determining the use condition based on the evaluation.

31. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the current performance information includes information obtained by an inspection unit which inspects a performance of the customer's exposure apparatus.

32. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the current performance information includes information obtained by a measurement in the customer's exposure apparatus.

33. A method according to claim 28 , further comprising a step of registering the second information in a database.

34. A method according to claim 33 , wherein said registering step registers the second information in the database with respect to each customer.

35. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of the substrate, a resist to be coated on the substrate, a mask for providing the pattern and an illumination condition to be applied to the mask.

36. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the first information includes information concerning at least one of an imaging performance, a resist profile, an alignment accuracy, a throughput, and an overlay accuracy to be obtained by the customer's exposure apparatus.

37. A method according to claim 28 , wherein said determining step obtains information of a design of a mask for providing the pattern as the use condition.

38. A method according to claim 28 , wherein said transmitting step transmits the second information to the customer's exposure apparatus.

39. A computer-readable storage medium which stores instructions for execution by a computer, which executes an information providing method, said method comprising steps of: receiving first information concerning a target performance of a customer's exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern, from a customer's system including the exposure apparatus via a network; determining a use condition of the customer's exposure apparatus based on the first information; preparing second information concerning the determined use condition; and transmitting the second information to the customer's system via a network.